Machine for grinding friction elements



June 5, 1934. H. N. SMITH 136L175 MACHINE FOR GRINDING FRICTION ELEMENTS Filed D80. 28, 1929 muulure Patented June 5, 1934 MACHINE FOR GRINDING FRIUTION ELEMENTS Harry N. Smith, Detroit, Mich, assignor to American Brakeblok Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 28, 1929, Serial No. 417,179

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for grinding friction elements such as molded liners for automotive and other friction brakes to dress the face of the element and to reduce it to a predetermined thickness; and it relates more particularly to dressing the inner face of an arcuate liner for external contracting brakes.

The object of the invention is to provide a continuously operating machine which will receive the liner, move it through grinding position and grind it, and hold it throughout the operation in proper position for grinding without requiring any manual manipulation by the operator.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a l5 selected embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a top plan View of the machine, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing 4 is the main frame of the machine and 5 is a support adjustably mounted on the main frame and carrying an electrio motor 6. A disk 7 is secured on a horizontal shaft 8 mounted in bearings on the support and this shaft is driven from the motor shaft 9 through suitable speed reduction gears indicated generally by 10. A motor 11 is supported on the frame and a roll grinder 12 is mounted on the vertical motor shaft 13 in operative relation to the disk 7. The support 5 may be adjusted on the table to move the disk toward or away from the periphery of the grinder and it may also be adjusted to move the disk at right angles to the first named adjustment. These adjustments may be effected by any suitable means and I have shown a screw 14 and hand wheel 15 for effecting the former adjustment, the screw being mounted in a bearing 16 on the support and projecting through an arm 17 on the frame. The grinder and disk are so positioned that the bight therebetween is located below the horizontal center plane of the axis of the disk and its shaft and at one side of the vertical center plane of the axis of the disk and its shaft. In other words, the axial vertical center plane of the disk and its shaft does not include but is parallel to the axial center line of the grinder and its shaft. The disk is mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis and the grinder is mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and at the bight between the disk and the grinder where the liner 18 is engaged thereby the movements of the disk and the grinder are in the same direction. A work plate 19is fastened on the frame to receive the liner 18 and the effect of the above described location of the bight between the disk and grinder and the rotation of the disk downwardly at the bight isto cause the disk to force the liner against the work plate as it moves the liner through grinding position and as the grinder dresses the face of the liner with which it contacts. In molding and cutting and curing or in other steps employed in manufacturing liners they may vary in thickness and they may have 65 fins or burrs or other irregularities and it is desirable to reduce the liners to uniform thickness with a dressed surface so that they will make even contact with a drum or other braking member. In my machine the disk and grinder op- 76 erate continuously, the disk revolving at a slow rate of speed and the grinder at a high rate of speed. The liner 18 is fed to the disk and grinder and the disk moves the liner through grinding position and at the same time urges it against the work plate while the grinder is dressing the face with which it contacts. The contact face of the disk is preferably knurled or otherwise roughened to make effective engagement with the liners. These liners are curved as required and they travel through the machine without being in any way strained or otherwise damaged. I have shown a liner of a general shape used on brake bands for external brakes but the invention is adaptable for grinding other kinds of friction elements and I do not restrict the invention to the particular form of liners illustrated. The disk holds the liner in position for grinding and also moves it through grinding position and it is necessary, of course, that the liner should be held in operative contact with the disk to insure this movement. The grinder co-operates with the disk to this end-and means are provided for adjusting and setting the disk in predetermined relation to the grinder to effect this co-operation of parts. Since the grinder is operating at a high rate of speed it ,will dress the face of the liner at the same time that the disk is moving the liner through grinding position at the speed of the disk, for the disk acts as a control or retarder to prevent the grinder from moving the work too rapidly. The disk urges the friction element against the work plate while moving through grinding position and thereby maintains the friction element in proper position for grinding.

The grinder extends below the surface of the work plate so that the liner will be supported on the work plate above the lower end of the grinder. This insures that the grinder will engage the liner throughout its width and grind the surface uniformly.

I reserve the right to make all such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts of my invention as may be necessary or desirable to adapt it for different conditions within the scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In a machine for grinding friction elements, the combination of a frame, a roll grinder having a substantially vertical axis and mounted in the frame, a disk mounted in the frame and having the fiat face thereof disposed in a substantially vertical plane and spaced from the periphery of the grinder, said grinder and said disk being so positioned in the frame that the bight therebetween is located at one side of the vertical center plane of the axis of the disk, and means for operating the grinder and the disk with the grinder operating at a higher rate of speed than the disk and with the grinder and the disk moving in the same direction at the bight thereof whereby a friction element may be passed through the bight between the grinder and the disk.

2. In a machine for grinding friction elements, the combination of a frame, a roll grinder mounted in the frame, a disk mounted in the frame and having the fiat face thereof spaced from the periphery of the grinder, said grinder and disk being so positioned in said frame that the bight therebetween is located below the horizontal center plane of the axis of the disk and at one side of the vertical center plane of the axis of the disk, and means for operating the grinder and disk with the grinder operating at a higher rate of speed than the disk, and with the grinder and the disk moving in the same direction at the bight thereof whereby a friction element may be passed through the bight be tween the grinder and the disk.

3. In a machine for grinding friction elements, the combination of a frame, a roll grinder mounted vertically in the frame, means for operating the grinder at a high rate of speed, a vertically disposed disk horizontally mounted in the frame and having the fiat face thereof spaced from the periphery of the grinder whereby a friction element may be passed through the bight between the disk and grinder, said grinder and disk being so positioned in the frame that the bight therebetween is located below the horizontal center plane of the axis of the disk and at one side of the vertical center plane of the axis of the disk, means for retaining the disk in position with the face thereof spaced from the periphery of the grinder in an amount equal to the desired thickness of the friction elements to be passed through the bight between the disk and the grinder, and means for operating the disk in the same direction as the grinder at the bight therebetween and at a lower rate of speed than the grinder to hold the friction element in contact with the grinder and to move it through grinding position 4. In a machine for grinding friction elements, the combination of a frame, a roll grinder mounted in the frame, a disk mounted in the frame and having the flat face thereof spaced from the periphery of the grinder, said disk and grinder being so positioned in the frame that the bight therebetween is located below the horizontal center plane of the axis of the disk and at one side of the vertical center plane of the axis of the disk, a work plate mounted on the frame and aligned with the bight between the grinder and the disk, and means for operating the grinder and the disk with the grinder operating at a higher rate of speed than the disk and with the grinder and the disk moving in the same direction at the bight therebetween and with the disk moving toward the work plate at the bight be tween the grinder and the disk whereby a friction element passed through the bight is urged toward and into engagement with the work plate.

5. In a machine for grinding friction elements, the combination of a frame, a roll grinder mounted in the frame, a disk mounted in the frame and having the flat face thereof spaced from the periphery of the grinder, said disk and grinder being so positioned in the frame that the bight therebetween is located below the horizontal center plane of the axis of the disk and at one side of the vertical center plane of the axis of the disk, 2. work plate mounted on the frame below the bight between the grinder and the disk and having the upper surface thereof positioned above the lower end of the grinder, and means for operating the grinder and the disk with the grinder operating at a higher rate of speed than the disk and with the grinder and the disk moving in the same direction at the bight therebetween and with the disk moving toward the work plate at the bight between the grinder and the disk whereby a friction element passed through the bight is urged toward and into engagement with the work plate.

6. In a machine for grinding friction elements,

operating the grinder and the disk with the grinder operating at a higher rate of speed than the disk and with the grinder and the disk moving in the same direction at the bight therebetween, and. means for adjusting the disk toward and away from the periphery of the roll grinder and at right angles to the first named adjustment.

HARRY N. SMITH. 

